Intcomex deal creates powerful sales network for LIME
Published:Sunday | September 30, 2012 | 12:00 AM
TelecomS provider LIME has brokered a deal with American company Intcomex that will expand its local sales outlets for BlackBerry and Samsung smartphones by a multiple of 12.
The deal announced last Thursday will incorporate Intcomex Jamaica's network of 1,200 resellers nationwide.
LIME Jamaica has a dealership network of 100 - eight of which it owns.
While these resellers are not categorised as dealers, they will sell similar products and services starting with smartphones locked to the LIME network and talk credit.
Prior to the deal, Intcomex sold unlocked mobile phones not specific to any network.
"Now we can sell LIME credit and phone devices and eventually other LIME services," Robert Whitehorne, the product and purchasing manager at Intcomex, told Sunday Business in Kingston last Thursday.
"The benefit is that now LIME can deal with one entity with a network of 1,200 resellers," Whitehorne said.
Operates in 14 countries
Intcomex operates in 14 countries including Jamaica, and describes itself as the largest information technology distributor in the Anglo-Caribbean.
It started operating locally 12 years ago and entered mobile wholesale reselling four years ago with unlocked devices for any network.
Beleaguered LIME recently gained market momentum since the summer slashing of its calling and mobile internet rates by up to two-thirds.
The drop was initiated by government legislation which imposed an interim wholesale rate of J$5, down from J$9, to switch between rival networks.
Market leader Digicel eventually followed and dropped its rates by arguably a similar amount.
"What interested us in LIME is that they are growing. We are very interested in their growth. The other network has already peaked," said Whitehorne amid the dancers and promo girls which marked the launch event.
LIME head of retail, Stephen Price, expects growth to result from this partnership.
"We expect great things through you the resellers as we know Intcomex possesses the largest network," he said. "This is the start of something amazing."